Sunday, April 20, 2025
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Katie Lee

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Noodles & Company Names New President and COO

by Katie Lee

Broomfield, Colo. — Noodles & Company has appointed Joe Christina as its president and chief operating officer. A seasoned restaurant executive with more than three decades of leadership experience, Christina will oversee operations and human resources and help further elevate the Noodles & Company experience for both guests and team members. “Joe is a highly accomplished leader with deep operational expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation in the restaurant industry,” says Drew Madsen, chief executive officer at Noodles & Company. “His experience as both a …

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franchise developmentNewspeopleretailers

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. Names New COO

by Katie Lee

Duluth, Ga. — The board of directors of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S., has promoted its senior vice president of operations, Daniel E. Clara, to chief operating officer. Clara has more than 23 years of extensive automotive retail experience. Prior to his 5 years as senior vice president of operations, he held positions as regional vice president, market director, general manager, other store-level department leadership roles and store-level frontline retail positions at Asbury. “Dan has done a great job …

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Church’s Texas Chicken Promotes COO to CEO

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Church’s Texas Chicken® has named Roland Gonzalez as its new chief executive officer. Gonzalez will lead the legendary brand’s next phase of global growth and evolution, having played a key role in its transformation over the last 2 years as chief operations officer. He succeeds Joe Guith, who was named to the post in 2022. Prior to joining Church’s Texas Chicken®, Gonzalez held senior leadership roles at major quick-service restaurant brands, including Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, where he implemented successful global growth strategies and delivered high-impact …

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Lids Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

by Katie Lee

Indianapolis — Leading sports retailer Lids has appointed Greg Cox as the company’s new chief financial officer (CFO). Cox, who has been with Lids for 8 years, has held a variety of accounting and finance leadership roles. In his new position, he will oversee the company’s finance, loss prevention, human resources and information technology departments. “Greg’s deep understanding of Lids’ operations and financial strategy, combined with his leadership experience, makes him uniquely suited to take on this critical role,” says Bob Durda, president of Lids. “His vision for simplifying and …

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Golden Corral Teams Up with Qu to Reinvent Buffet Operations

by Katie Lee

Arlington, Va. — Golden Corral®, the nation’s largest buffet restaurant chain, is evolving beyond its in-store dining roots with a full-scale technology transformation. Partnering with Qu, Golden Corral has launched an advanced cloud-based platform that modernizes operations, expands digital ordering and sets the stage for long term growth. Founded in 1973, Golden Corral Corporation and its franchisees operate 351 locations across 39 states and Puerto Rico, serving all-you-can-eat buffet meals. The Golden Corral system has achieved a 31% increase in Average Unit Volume (AUV) since 2019 — making it arguably …

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Eyes in the Sky

by Katie Lee

— By Ron Harwood — The future of outdoor media systems and the capability of wireless controls and data collection. The police and fire chiefs run the public safety areas along with road commissioners who try to give their officers fast access to information. Environmental planners and water resource commissioners deal with water, earth and air quality and are always in need of much more data to monitor and control their systems. Public lighting is concerned with keeping the lights on, paying for energy and maintaining vast amounts of equipment. …

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MaintenX: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee

— Interview with Herman Wilkinson — R&R: Where is MaintenX based, and how long has it been in business? Herman Wilkinson: MaintenX is based out of Tampa, Florida.  We have been in business for over 40+ years! R&R: You are the new chief operating officer of MaintenX — how long have you been with the company? I think I read that you worked your way up from previous positions in the organization.  Wilkinson: I have been with MaintenX for 16+ years. Yes, I started as a regional service coordinator, and …

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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Appoints President and Head of Americas

by Katie Lee

Los Angeles — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, global specialty coffee and tea house, has appointed Tara Hinkle as the new president and head of Americas. She joins the company from Taco Bell and Starbucks. “We are thrilled to welcome Tara Hinkle as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s new president and head of Americas,” says Jose Pepot Miñana Jr., CEO for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. “With her leadership in franchise growth and strategy, Tara is set to drive our expansion across the Americas. Her expertise and …

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Petco Strengthens Leadership Team, Including CFO

by Katie Lee

San Diego — Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. has appointed three new leaders to Petco’s executive team. Sabrina Simmons, former chief financial officer at Gap, Inc., has been named chief financial officer, effective Feb. 17; Michael Romanko, former chief merchandising and marketing officer at Five Below, Inc., has been named chief customer and product officer, effective Feb. 24; and Jack Stout, former executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at 7-Eleven, Inc., has been named chief merchandising officer, effective Feb. 24. “Today’s appointments represent a significant evolution of Petco’s …

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Yum! Brands Moves Brand Headquarters in the U.S. to Texas and California

by Katie Lee

Louisville, Ky. — Yum! Brands plans to designate two brand headquarters in the U.S., located in Plano, Texas, and Irvine, Calif. This decision will involve relocating KFC U.S. corporate office employees currently in Louisville, Ky., to the KFC and Pizza Hut Global headquarters in Plano, Texas. Yum! Brands and the KFC Foundation will maintain corporate offices in Louisville. KFC will continue its brand presence in Louisville, Ky., with the ambition of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant. Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain headquartered in Irvine, Calif. “These …

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